What's happening
This bill forgives the Huntington Union Free School District for late building cost report filings, waiving related penalties if certain conditions are met.
Why it matters
Prevents financial penalties from reducing school district resources. By waiving penalties for late building cost reports, the bill ensures Huntington Union Free School District keeps more state funding, directly impacting its ability to serve students and maintain facilities.
Sets clear standards for forgiveness. The district only receives relief if the late reports are eventually submitted, approved, and show funds were properly used—helping maintain accountability and public trust.
Targets administrative errors, not fraud. The waiver applies only if delays were due to inadvertent mistakes, not intentional misconduct, ensuring relief is for honest errors rather than negligence or malfeasance.
Provides precedent and guidance for similar cases. This bill could influence how other districts and the state handle late filings in the future, potentially shaping state oversight and procedures around school construction funding compliance.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Forgive Late School Reports
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Vetoed memo.129
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.78
- Substituted for A4771
- Referred to education
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 57–1
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.603
Show 2 earlier actions
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Forgive School Reporting Error
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Steve Stern
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2976
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 31, 2019
Introduced by Sen. GAUGHRAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to legalize, validate, ratify and confirm the actions of the Huntington union free school district notwithstanding the failure to timely file final building cost reports with the education department
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, all acts done and proceedings heretofore had and taken, or caused to be had or taken, by the Huntington union free school district and by any of its officers or agents relating to or in connection with final building cost reports required to be filed with the education department for approved building projects completed prior to December 31, 2011, and all acts incidental thereto are hereby legalized, validated, ratified and confirmed, notwithstanding any failure to comply with the time requirements for the approval and filing provisions of the education law or any other provision of law, rule or regulation, relating to any omissions, error, defect, irregularity or illegality in such proceedings had and taken.
§ 2. Notwithstanding section 24-a of part A of chapter 57 of the laws of 2013, and consistent with section one of this act, the commissioner of education shall not recover from the Huntington union free school district any penalty arising from the late filing of a final cost report pursuant to section 31 of part A of chapter 57 of the laws of 2012, provided that any amounts already so recovered shall be deemed a payment of moneys due for prior years pursuant to paragraph c of subdivision 5 of section 3604 of the education law and shall be paid to the Huntington union free school district pursuant to such provision, provided that such school district:
(a) submitted the late or missing final building cost report to the commissioner of education;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08853-01-9
S. 2976 2
(b) such cost report is approved by the commissioner of education;
(c) all state funds expended by the school district, as documented in such cost report, were properly expended for such building project in accordance with the terms and conditions for such project as approved by the commissioner of education; and
(d) the failure to submit such report in a timely manner was an inadvertent administrative or ministerial oversight by the school district, and there is no evidence of any fraudulent or other improper intent by such district.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to legalize, validate, ratify and confirm the actions of the Huntington union free school district notwithstanding the failure to timely file final building cost reports with the education department
Purpose or general idea of bill
Legalizes, validates, ratifies and confirms the actions of the Hunting- ton Union Free School District regardless of the failure of the State Education Department (SED) to locate final building cost reports that had been timely filed.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Allows the Education Department to consider the final cost report for Huntington Union Free School District as legalized, vali- dated, ratified and confirmed for approved building projects completed prior to December 31, 2011, recognizing that the failure to file the report in a timely manner was an inadvertent administrative or minister- ial oversight by SED.
Section 2: Provides that the Commissioner of the State Education Depart- ment shall not recover from the Huntington Union Free School District any penalty arising from the late filing of a final cost report pursuant to section 31 of part A of chapter 57 of the laws of 2012, provided that any amounts already so recovered shall be deemed a payment for money due for prior years pursuant to paragraph c of subdivision 5 of section 3604 of the Education Law and shall be paid to the Huntington Union Free School District pursuant to such provision.
Section 3: Sets the effective date.
Justification
The Huntington Union Free School District submitted three final cost report packages in 2011 all on the same date. The State Education Department confirmed that two of the three packages were received. In the meantime, the school district had a number of staff turnovers, including the Assistant Superintendent for Business, and the senior accountant. In 2013, the school district noticed that a number of cost reports did not show up as being filed. The Facilities Planning staff told the District they were having difficulty with lost reports. The DOE Facilities Planning staff eventually located a number of these reports, or the District was able to show they had been mailed.
Prior legislative history
S.8469 - 2018
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.